Bulls make wholesale changes for Benetton showdown

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White has revealed his team to face Benetton in Friday’s United Rugby Championship Round clash in Treviso.

In the pack, Wilco Louw will have new front row teammates in the form of Johan Grobbelaar and Alulutho Tshakweni.

Louw and Grobbelaar were recently added to South Africa’s end-of-year tour squad after Jan-Hendrik Wessels was ruled out with an ankle injury.

Cobus Wiese will shift to the No.4 lock with JF van Heerden getting the nod at No.5 lock.

In the back row, Marcell Coetzee comes in for Nama Xaba, while Elrigh Louw takes over the No.8 jersey from Cameron Hanekom.

Embrose Papier will get the No.9 jersey this week and in the midfield, David Kriel returns to the No.12 spot.

The other changes are in the back three with Devon Williams and Aphiwe Dyantyi coming in for Henry Immelman and Sebastian de Klerk.

Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 David Kriel, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw (captain), 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Alulutho Tshakweni.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Keegan Johannes, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Sebastian de Klerk.

Date: Friday, October 25
Venue: Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Kick-off: 20.35 (20.35 SAST; 18.35 GMT)
Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Andrea Piardi (Italy), Franco Rosella (Italy)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)